Improvement in car-couplings



l. M. CLEM.

Car-Couplings. NOJAYQO]l Patented Feb.24,1874.

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UNITED TATES Enron,

JAMES M. CLEM, OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH HIS RIGHT T() W. I3. SHAPARD St CO., OF SAME PLACE."

IMPROVEMENT In CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l&7,96,dated February 24, 1874; application tiled February 4, 1874.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, .Timms M. CLEM, of Opelika, in the county of Lee and in the State ot Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Coupling; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to theletters of reference marked thereon making a part of this specification.

The nature ot' my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a railroadcar coupling, as will be hereina-tter more fully set torth.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure lis a perspective view of my coupling. Fig. 2 is a longitudilial vertical section oi' the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a crooked coupling-link used in the same.

A represents the draw-head provided with an interior U -shaped chamber, a., having a tiaring mouth, I), as shown. rIhis draw-head is provided with a longitudinal re-enibrcement, B, at the top and bottom, and an elongated slot, d, through the center thereof'. C represents the coupling-pin, made in elbow shape, as shown in Fig. 2, and pivoted by means ot' a pin, t', through the upper re-enforcement B, and works in the slot in the upper part of the draw-head. In the upper horizontal part of the coupling-pin is a longitudinal slot, e, in which works a crank, f, upon the inner end of a shaft, I). the car by suitable boxes or bearings It, and is at its outer end provided with a lever, G, so that by a simple swing of the lever the coupling-pin C may be raised for uncoupling without going in between the ears. By this construction I am enabled to couple all the cars of the train by jamming the draw-'heads together by a reverse movement of the engine. By using the U-shaped chamber a, I am enabled to couple on any radius of curvature with a straight link, H, or a crooked link, H', without injury to the pin or links. Moreover, thereby I am enabled to raise there-enforcement B rIhis shaft is held to the sill E of large enough, both at the top and bottom, to have the strength of two ordinary draw-heads witlronly haltl the amount ot' material. The elbow-pin C is made wide and iiat, so as to take up all the slack necessary when coupled, and the slot e in the same is of sufficient length to allow the crank j' to work without an ypressure from the strokes of the draw-heads when jammed. The crank j' and lever G are so set on the shaft or rod D as to assist the pin G in coupling or uncoupling. It the pivot-pin t' should give way, the end ot' the crank f acts as a pivot-pin, and prevents the cars from uncoupling, and retains the elbow-pin C in its proper place.

These coupling devices are cheap to manufacture, simple to put together, not liable to get out of order, and reliable in their operation, as it is unnecessary for any one to pass between the cars, while coupling or uncoupling. No extra attachments are required, and only a jam ot' the draw-heads is needed to couple, and simply raising the lever adjusts the pin for uncoupling, rendering it perfectly safe to life and limb.

Having thus fully described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. rBhe flat elbow-shaped couplin g-pin G, pivoted in the draw-head A, and provided with the slot e, in combination with the crank j', shaft D, and lever G, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. v

2. The combination of the draw-head A, having U-shaped chamber a and re-enforcements B B, the slotted elbow-shaped pin C, crank f, shaft I), and lever G, all constructed substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

' In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of January, 1874.

JAMES M. ELEM.

Vitnesses:

E. O. Bownns, R. E. Bownns. 

